Summer can take its toll on our skin & hair. So much sun, chlorine, salt water and more. I also know that I wear my hair up a lot more during the summer because it's just too hot to deal most days, am I right? So I wanted to share some simple tips for you to get that silky smooth hair for fall!

Garnier® Whole Blends™ comes in six beautiful scents, including Honey Treasures (to repair your hair); Coconut Oil & Cocoa Butter Extracts (for smoothing); and Green Apple & Green Tea Extracts (for refreshing). A little while ago, I talked about Garnier® Whole Blends™ and how I needed to take care of myself, in spite of just having become a mommy.

I always have good intentions when it comes to keeping up appearances during the summertime-- but by the time we hit July, I have to face reality: It's super-hot and humid outside and we are an active, outdoorsy family.

Every year it's the same. I look forward to summer the whole year. I love the sun, the beach, and of course I am in love with traveling. While I am still fully enjoying the warm season, and the trips we've been taking, I've already started thinking about my kids' Back-to-School time approaching pretty soon.

First things first, you need to remove any product buildup and clarify your hair. To get great volume and shine you need to get rid of all the gunk that's weighing down your strands. Every product in the Garnier® Whole Blends™ line smells amazing but the Refreshing Shampoo with Green Apple & Green Tea Extracts is my favorite. The smell is clean and fresh, perfect for a deep cleanse that restores shine.

Ah, can you feel it? It's that unmistakable change in the air that reminds me that summer is on the way out and fall is on the way in. It is truly a glorious time of year, and I love the feeling of moving forward with school, routines, and life. It's a time of renewal, and today I'm sharing three ways I'm refreshing my routine for fall with Garnier® Whole Blends™

If you had told me years ago that becoming a mother to three little girls in three years would change the way I take care of myself, I would have called you crazy. Before kids, I was never a fashionista or girls' girl, but I did get up, exercise, wash and style my hair and put on makeup every day. After three pregnancies and the immediate shift of attention from me to them, the weight piled on, the hair went up in a ponytail and the makeup got lost in the diaper cream and baby shampoo.

Everyday my emotions fluctuate intensely. Extreme exhaustion, happiness like I've never known, frustration (oh the frustration!), a form of patience that I truly believe only a parent is capable of and love. So much love. The purest form that is what unicorns and fairy dust are made of. All of these emotions encompass the beautiful moments and memories I have and continue to create with my children.

Women do it all — there's no denying that. I work all day, and as soon as I shut off that part of me, I have to jump right into the kitchen and help my kids with their homework while I'm cooking dinner. It's a 24-hour job, and if there's an off switch, I haven't found it yet. Thank goodness I only have one speed — crazy.

Mornings can be really tough for some people — myself included. And even though I’m a total night owl, I’ve learned that there are several things we should do in the morning to keep our outer glow bright, no matter what time we wake up. After a long night’s sleep, there are certain things your body craves. These tips not only make you look and feel beautiful, they’ll make you more focused and energized to take on the day.

As a kid, I bounced out of bed on beach mornings like most kids do for Christmas, Disney World or, in my husband's case, all things baseball. Living in the San Fernando Valley of Los Angeles, the beach was just "over the hill" about 30 minutes, but you could never count on the sun to be shining as much, the temperatures to be quite as warm or the fog to have lifted.

There is nothing quite as hectic as the life of a mom. We see you at the playground struggling with the tantrums, handing out the snacks and trying to keep it together. Amid all that chaos, it’s easy to miss the beautiful moments with your children, the wholesome times that quickly pass. Your little ones are smiling, laughing and learning from you, but are you soaking it in? If your answer is no, that’s OK.

I am so tired. My family has just had yet another whirlwind week of running from activity to activity, jetting off to parties, staying up too late and working super hard. Sound familiar? Most of us share a similar story. We put our heads down and charge through our to-do lists, barely lifting our eyes to notice what’s going on around us as we do.

Life can be so busy. I sometimes feel overwhelmed with all of the responsibilities that somehow seem to fall onto my plate. I know that I'm not the only one who feels that way. I am willing to bet that most people feel like they have too much going on as well.

As a busy mom, I know full well the fact that half the battle of getting ready for each day involves having high quality and affordable beauty products available at all times. Preparation is the key to victory! Conquering a busy day is easy with the new Garnier® Whole Blends™ hair care products I've been using lately.

Busy is a word I use often beautiful however is not. This really got me to thinking about all the moments in my life that I said I was busy versus recognizing them as simply beautiful moments. One moment in particular stands out. I was at a family gathering laughing and playing games with my family but I knew there were things to do. I had orders that needed to go out and a shipment of inventory I needed to pick up from Texas (about 3 hours away). I find myself always cutting things short in order to focus on business.

Today I'm teaming up with Garnier® and talking about life's beautiful moments. I think it goes without saying that my life's most beautiful moments are those random little ones throughout the day with my kids. Life isn't always perfect and the kids can definitely be a little crazy at times;) but it's all about those little moments in between that make life so beautiful. From the sweet little cards Ava makes, to her reading to her little brother or our afternoon cuddle sessions, those are the beautiful little moments in life that I cherish the most!

Being a mother often leaves me doing very little for myself and in turn my self-confidence has suffered a little over time because I felt like I had "let myself go" so to speak. I spent the last 10 years of my life raising my children and at first finding the balance of caring for them and caring for myself wasn't easy.

I'm always a little self-conscious about something. There is always a reason for me to hide behind the camera and never get in front of it. It's easy to do after all, because I'm the photographer in the family. It's a great way to never have to actually be in a photo - just keep taking pictures. I have been purposely putting off new family photos, even though my youngest was a baby the last time they were done. (She turns four next month.) I keep waiting for one more "thing" to be complete. To whiten my teeth, grow my hair out, lose a few pounds, get a spray tan...

As a new mom, with two under two, it is really easy to let my needs go behind everyone else's. These babies rely on me (and my hubby) for literally everything, and it's not only our job but our responsibility to take care of them. And sometimes this involves me letting my own needs and basic happiness fall to the wayside. You know, like a shower? ;) I mean, don't get me wrong, being their mother is the most important thing I'll ever do- I believe this wholeheartedly- but I've realized that to be the best mom I can, I must also take care of myself.

Before I had Ada Verastic, I heard too many stories about moms spending all their time and energy on their children and letting themselves go. I did not think I would be one of those moms. Ada Verastic is now five months old, and I still don't think that I have let myself go. However, having a baby girl has shifted my focus and excitement from me to her. I'll explain. When Ada Verastic first made her debut, I was not as obsessed as I am now with dressing her up, but that might have been because I needed some time to get used to her being a girl.

I have many names, but my favorite is Aunt Nanny. I am the proud aunt of two nephews and four nieces. They range in age from seven years to three months (I will meet the youngest next weekend! She and her sister live in Virginia). These six parts of my heart are officially the cutest kids on the planet. ;)

Our entire world changed when little Cohen came into our lives. It's been such a sweet experience seeing him grow and develop, changing so fast! I sometimes wish there was a way to slow it all down but it only gets better and better with each passing day. I love being his mom, being his #1, day in and day out and I wouldn't change it.

When my children were very small and I was an often overwhelmed young mother, I comforted myself with the knowledge that things would get easier in time. The kids would get older and become more self-sufficient and I would have time to write again and read again and shop for myself and get my hair done every six-to-eight weeks. Eight years have passed since that time and, well, I'm still waiting for things to get easier.

Do you see the beautiful blooms in my garden? Although it is only mid-April, the gorgeous flowers, uncharacteristically sunny NW spring, all the swimwear, and cute dresses at the stores definitely put me in summer mood. I've been slowly adjusting my body, skin, and beauty routines to the changing seasons the last couple months. As a busy mom with a fast paced life, I almost always feel like I am being pulled to a million different directions.

Garnier® Whole Blends™ asked me to share some of my favorite moments in life lately and try/review a few of their new products. Happy moments + new hair products? I'm in. Life lately has been so good. I know I'm in a healthy state emotionally, physically, and spiritually when I feel a sense of lightheartedness and am able to be fully present. It's a good day when I lose track of my cell phone and don't check social media...you know what I mean? Just unplugging from all the noise and plugging into my life.

Finding a balance is the #1 thing that makes me feel beautiful. I feel the best I can when I can successfully juggle being a wife, mommy, cleaner, cook, blogger, money manager, and the hundred other descriptors that outline my everyday. It seems like as soon as I figure out how to handle each area of life, the universe seems to throw another curve ball in there (hello, newborn baby). But that's ok - I kind of like it that way. The challenge of being successful in each of these areas is what drives me each and every day. And on the (somewhat uncommon) occasion that I'm able to juggle them all, I feel like my best self.

When I was a new mom and overwhelmed, as most new moms are with the task of well, mothering and more specifically, the realization that "you mean I have to take care of it ALL THE TIME?" I quickly started to spiral down in a haze of post-partum depression.

you may not know this, but I haven't always loved my curly hair. actually, i hated it for many many years because i didn't know how to manage it. i forced it straight with a hot iron for most of high school and the first part of college or threw it in a low-bun and said 'forget you curls - you unruly, wild things!' evidence of said straight hair, about a week before my now-husband and i started dating in 2007.

I am a huge advocate for feeling good about yourself. For confidence. Confidence in you. The way YOU were made, NOT the way you measure up to someone else. I don't think this message can be shared enough. Unfortunately, this isn't just a message for young girls struggling with self-esteem. It's a message for all women. Embrace your beauty. Be who you are. Celebrate you. I am thankful that I learned relatively young to embrace who I am. I am very tall.

My mother is the most beautiful woman I know. Inside and out. I have vivid memories of watching her get ready as a child. Sitting on the toilet, my little legs crossed, watching in awe as she carefully applied rose colored rouge to her cheeks and raspberry lipstick on her lips. She always finished with a light dusting of face powder. Before we left the house she would spritz on her perfume and I loved how the scent would float around the house as she collected her purse and put on her shoes.

Being a mom to two children has been both the most incredible blessing and a big challenge. It has been beautiful watching our family (and our hearts) grow while at the same time it has been a juggling act balancing everyone's needs.

Mother's Day, for me, has changed in its meaning over the years. It wasn’t until I was adopted that I had any concept of Mother’s Day. I remember pancakes for mom in the morning, lunch out on a day full of sunshine and allowing mom to relax the rest of the day. As the years have passed and I have become a single mom of three amazing daughters myself, the meaning of the day has changed once again. The meaning is so much more about time with my girls and less about flowers and breakfast in bed.

I remember hearing women say that they hated Mother's Day. As a teenager, the thought of having a day to celebrate the woman seemed like something really special. Now that I am a mother, I can kind of understand where these women were coming from. Mother's Day can be hard. You see the tributes others make to their moms, and while it’s never something you should ever do, I can’t help but compare myself to the others.

Many moons ago, as a freshman in college I signed up for a beginning guitar class. Ever so slowly, as my practicing overshadowed my anxieties (My hands are too small! My fingers don't work this way!) I started to actually learn to play the guitar. I didn't have much musical training growing up, only what the public school system offered, and so to actually be able to play an instrument, let alone the guitar (which in my mind is the James Dean of instruments) was very exciting to me.

I recently found a big box of old pictures from my childhood in the basement. I’m a sucker for nostalgia and got sucked into a deep, chuckle-filled hole of memories for a good half hour before I looked up and tried to remember what the heck I had been looking for in the first place.

Every time Mother's Day rolls around I get nostalgic and pull up old photos. Sometimes it is pictures of my childhood and my mom, other times it is of my kids, most of the time it is both. It is good to look back through your memories and keepsakes and appreciate the beautiful things in your life. The most beautiful thing in my life is my family. It is easy to take your family for granted but when you live across the country from the people you love the most, it really makes you appreciate the times you had together.

I think, in today's Pinterest-happy blog world, all of us can get a little too caught up in how life looks from the outside. I know I'm guilty of it. Our holidays consist of trying to get that perfect snapshot of the kiddos, making the most creative meal, and decorating with the latest trendy look (it's still all white this week, right?). As moms, it can be a little too easy to only see the beauty in their situation through the perfect Instagram filter.

Mother’s Day was a very difficult day for me up until a couple of years ago. Having lost my sweet mom to cancer 4 years ago, the first few years without her meant that Mother’s Day was yet another day to be painfully reminded of her absence. And it sucked. A lot. But then my baby boy was born in 2011, and that year Mother’s Day was sweet again, in a whole new way (although the pain of not being able to celebrate with my own mom will always be there).

The holiday season is one of my favorite times of the year. There's something about these few months that brings families together. Whether we are baking for friends, getting crafty with art projects or planning a huge party - it's all about bonding with the ones we love.

Take Those Pictures: An Annual Holiday Tradition

Like most mothers, I can still remember clearly the moments when my small people were truly small... when they barely toddled at waist level, when their teeth were still working their way in, when I could easily lift them on to my back - but I credit a certain favorite holiday tradition with helping to keep those memories bold and bright: we have family pictures taken each and every year. It is this beauty captured that reminds me of all of the small moments in my life that compile to make my world extraordinary.

Life's Beautiful Moments with Garnier

Holiday season is here so today I’m teaming up with Garnier® Whole Blends and sharing all the little moments that make life beautiful. For me (and I’m sure all you mama's out there) it's always the little moments with my kids that make life so beautiful. It's that magical time of year again and seeing the excitement on my little ones faces at all the holiday festivities is what makes life beautiful for me.

The holidays are soon approaching which means holiday parties and lots of pictures with friends and family. The holidays also mean getting camera ready be it for your annual holiday card or family portraits. Hair plays a major part of getting ready for the holidays. If you come from a large family, you all may crowd in the bathroom doing each other’s hair or if you are like me and come from a smaller family it might not be as involved or quite as long of a process. We all want our hair to be just right for our pictures.

When the weather actually starts cooling down in Houston, though we only get snow here once in a blue moon, it does get pretty chilly and I start to see difference in my skin, hair and nails. Part of this is due to the cool/dryer temperatures and part is due to the use of heaters at home, in the car and at the office. They can really dry your skin out and cause it to become chapped. Because of this, I switch up my beauty routine in the winter to help ensure my skin, hair and nails stay in better shape. I'm sharing some products in my rotation that I love using when it's cooler out.

Fall Haircare with Garnier Whole Blends

Fall is in full swing and with that comes gorgeous colors and cooler temps. My skin and hair also notice the dip in season because it instantly becomes a lot drier especially through the ends. Since I color my hair I am always checking labels and making sure they're going to be a good fit for my blonde highlights. Color protection is always a must for me because who wants to spend big bucks on hair appointments only to have the color stripped from their hair?

The holidays have always excited me but now that I popped out a child, excited is an understatement. "...but it's atlas' first so we need to get every. single. decoration!" That sentence may have been muttered by me every time we go to target. I am grateful I grew up in a family that embraces the holiday ambiance so I am less about all the gifts being exchanged and more about the environment. My husband and I have been talking about what traditions we want to include from our families for our own expanding family.

A Simple Holiday Hair Tradition

When I was a little girl, before every big event or holiday I would ask my mom for what I called "Barbie Hair." After my evening bath she would braid my hair into a bunch of tiny braids that would dry in place overnight. I would wake up, take the ponytail holders out and my hair would be wavy and crimped. It was essentially today's version of beach waves. It was especially important we had this hairdo in place for Christmas! Here I am with my fancy hair at a birthday one year. (I'm on the left.)

Naturally Inspired Hair Care Sweepstakes on BlogHer runs from 5/2/2016 through 5/10/2016 and is only open to individuals who, at the time of entry deadline, are legal residents of the United States and are 18 years or older. Click “here” to read the official rules. Winners will be randomly selected from all eligible entries.

Naturally Inspired Hair Care Sweepstakes Part 2 on BlogHer runs from 5/4/2016 through 5/31/2016 and is only open to individuals who, at the time of entry deadline, are legal residents of the United States and are 18 years or older. Click “here” to read the official rules. Winners will be randomly selected from all eligible entries.

Naturally Inspired Hair Care Sweepstakes part 3 on BlogHer runs from 8/1/2016 through 9/1/2016 and is only open to individuals who, at the time of entry deadline, are legal residents of the United States and are 18 years or older. Click “here” to read the official rules. Winners will be randomly selected from all eligible entries.

Naturally Inspired Hair Care Sweepstakes part 4 on BlogHer runs from 11/16/2016 through 12/31/2016 and is only open to individuals who, at the time of entry deadline, are legal residents of the United States and are 18 years or older. Click “here” to read the official rules. Winners will be randomly selected from all eligible entries.